Roll Call

ROLL CALL

July 2, 1995|SOURCE: Roll Call Report Syndicate

Some key votes in the U.S. Congress last week:

HOUSE VOTES

-- AMERICAN FLAG: The House approved, 312-120, a constitutional amendment (HJ Res 79) allowing states to outlaw physical desecration of the American flag. If it clears the Senate, the 21-word measure will need ratification by three-fourths of the states to become part of the Constitution. A yes vote approved the constitutional amendment.

Representatives Yes No

Deutsch, D-Lauderhill x

Diaz-Balart, R-Miami x

Foley, R-West Palm Beach x

Hastings, D-Miramar x

Johnston, D-Boynton Beach x

Meek, D-Miami x

Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami x

Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale x

-- DEFINING TERMS: The House refused, 63-369, to establish definitions for the constitutional amendment against flag desecration (HJ Res 79, above). The effect of the vote was to allow states to set their own definitions of what is outlawed. This motion sought to define desecration as "burning, trampling, soiling or rending" the flag. A yes vote was to federally define key terms in the constitutional amendment.

Representatives Yes No

Deutsch, D-Lauderhill x

Diaz-Balart, R-Miami x

Foley, R-West Palm Beach x

Hastings, D-Miramar x

Johnston, D-Boynton Beach x

Meek, D-Miami x

Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami x

Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale x

-- AID TO HAITI: The House approved, 252-164, an amendment making aid to Haiti contingent upon its establishing democratic rule in this year's elections, as called for in the 1987 Haitian constitution. The vote occurred during debate on a bill (HR 1868) appropriating $12 billion in fiscal 1996 foreign aid, including $90 million for Haiti. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

Representatives Yes No

Deutsch, D-Lauderhill x

Diaz-Balart, R-Miami x

Foley, R-West Palm Beach x

Hastings, D-Miramar x

Johnston, D-Boynton Beach x

Meek, D-Miami x

Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami x

Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale x

-- BALANCED BUDGET: The House passed, 239-194, a Republican-drafted blueprint (H Con Res 67) for balancing the budget by 2002. Specific bills now must be passed to make the plan stick, just as measures can be approved at any time to unravel it. The legislation allows up to $245 billion in personal and business tax cuts after Congress has passed the bills necessary to eliminate red ink. It curbs the growth of federal spending by $983 billion. A yes vote was to approve the GOP-authored budget.

Representatives Yes No

Deutsch, D-Lauderhill x

Diaz-Balart, R-Miami x

Foley, R-West Palm Beach x

Hastings, D-Miramar x

Johnston, D-Boynton Beach x

Meek, D-Miami x

Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami x

Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale x

-- ROLL BACK: The House passed, 276-151, a bill (HR 1944) that rolls back current fiscal year spending by $16.4 billion in programs from veterans' health care to national service. It increases spending for disaster relief and other programs by about $7 billion, for net savings of more than $9 billion. It was in line to become the first law of the new GOP Congress that significantly reduces spending, in contrast to the budget resolution (above) that only prescribes cuts. A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Representatives Yes No

Deutsch, D-Lauderhill x

Diaz-Balart, R-Miami x

Foley, R-West Palm Beach x

Hastings, D-Miramar x

Johnston, D-Boynton Beach x

Meek, D-Miami x

Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami x

Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale x

SENATE VOTES

-- SECURITIES SUITS: The Senate passed, 70-29, a bill (S 240) making it more difficult to bring class-action suits alleging securities fraud. The bill imposes court sanctions on lawyers who bring frivolous suits; shortens the period for bringing suits; requires plaintiffs to specify alleged fraud when they file their action; limits the liability of accountants and attorneys for their employers' misdeeds, and gives plaintiffs less standing to sue based on a company's misleading financial forecast. The bill must be meshed with a House measure. A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Senators Yes No

Graham, D-Florida x

Mack, R-Florida x

-- ANTI-DEFICIT PLAN: The Senate voted 54-46 to give final Congressional approval of a Republican plan (H Con Res 67) to reach a balanced federal budget by 2002 while curbing spending growth by $983 billion and cutting taxes by $245 billion (see House issue above). A yes vote was to approve the GOP budget blueprint.